The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1887-11-15
ARTIFICIAL limbs,
The Art OF Making Them Morning
Perfection.

II wouldn't exactly say,n remarked
manufactures, "that people can ge
along aa we'll with artificial limbs a.
they can.@lt, artificial teeth, but tht
art or industry IS fast approaching tba,
age OF perfection. Men and womel
can eat and drink, play tho violin, write
ana DO various kinds Of light work with
artificial limbs and hands, and they car
dance, skate and run with artificial legs,
Il THE proportion Of those whose mis-.
fortunes REQUIRE tho use Of artllicla
limbs is about one in $4,000 OF the pop
ulation. OF these, 25 to 80 per cent. are
women. or the limbs lost, tho legs are
III the largo majority-about rs per
cent.
"Agreat many are under the impress
sion that the war made most Of the
cripples now living. The fact is that
for one person who lost limb in the
war 20 to "a lost theirs through some
accident Oil the railways or in some
other manner entirely disconnected
from warfare. The, railroad is the
great source OF our business, probably
one-half the cases that come to us being
attributed to railway accidents.n
~ suppose" said the reporter, "that
You meet with some queer incidents ip
The course OF your business?n
Yes. remember u customer COM
Ing to me not long ago for his second
artificial leg. Hehad worn the first for
number Of years. He said that lie
was IN much trouble of mind. He was
going to get married, and had been
counting his intended for year and q
half, and she did not know but that he
was entirely sound. The question Iii his
mlnd was whether to tell her before or
wait until after marriage. l advised
him toinform her beforehand. as otIier-
WISE she might have legal ground to
apply for an annulment Of the marriage
ON tho ground Of deception. He told
me afterward that he followed my ad-
vice. and the lady concluded that she
loved him none the less on account OF
his misfortune. Another singular incl
dent. but OF q different character, was
In connection with the collision Of two
steamers, one Of which had just started
from this port to Europe, and had to
put back again on account Of the, dam
age. None Of the passengers were IN.
jured by the accident, aud a friend iiok.
.ingly remarked Iii my presence that 4,
would no doubt be greatly disappointed
that there was no loss OF limb, as T
would therefore get no revenue from
tho occurrence. Strangely enough, the
day following, man from Ohio walked
into my office, and said ho wanted an
artificial leg, He related that !.e had
been a passenger on the steamer which
had to put back on account Of the col.
lision, having started from his home in
Ohio to pay a visit to Europe. When
the vessel returned to port lie conclud-
ed, on reflection, to give up his Euro
pean trip and to expend the money rs
had reserved for the trip IN providing
himself with a new artificial leg Ill
place Of the Sne which he then wore. ]
So 1t seems that the collision OF these
two steamers brought business after
ALL"
"Who supply limbs for the soldlers2',
"The business is distributed among
different manu- 'acturers, nearly, il not
all, in the large cities Of the Atlantic
coast. No union soldier who has lost u
limb in the war need be without an ar.
tificial one. Northern manufacturers
also supply good many artificial limbs
to confederate veterans on the orders of
states of The south that have made pro-
vision for the manned Of the lost cause,
but great many Of the southern yeter-
ans are unprovided for, the reason that
the appropriations for their relief are
not sufficiently frequent and adequate" -,
"Of private cases. do the greater mum.
ber come from tho city or country?"
II think the dangers OF city and
country life are about even, as far as
the artificial limb trado Is an indicator.
The moving machine ls q fair set-off
to the horse cars"
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